


Villefort

by myhamsterisademon



Series: Tumblr Works [5]
Category: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo | Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo - All Media Types
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, How Do I Tag, Light Angst, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tumblr Prompt, can't believe edouard has a tag but renée doesn't, smh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-03-28 14:47:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13906290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myhamsterisademon/pseuds/myhamsterisademon
Summary: Each member of the Villefort family had a reason to love Gérard





	1. Chapter 1

Renée is lucky. She knows this, and she will never deny the truth. She is lucky: she has found a rich, respectable husband, whom she loves deeply and wholeheartedly, and whom loves her back. 

She is lucky, and her mother, the marquise de Saint-Mérant, never ceases to repeat to her the extent of her good-fortune. And Renée herself thanks Heaven and God every day for what she has: beauty, money and respect. A perfectly happy, comfortable life, with big joys and little sorrows. Nothing to worry about, except that dinner was a little bit over-cooked today, that the maid cannot keep her remarks to herself and that her husband is over-tiring himself.

And now, she even has a child. She will be a  _mother_ , a little child, a little baby to spoil and to cherish. Valentine if she’s a little girl, after Renée’s own mother, and Olivier if he’s a little boy. 

Renée now looks at her friends, with mild curiosity, looks at those who have money but not love, or those who  _used_  to be her friends, who have love but no money – and she pities them.

She pities them, because Renée has got everything now.

So that evening, when Gérard comes back home from another of his trials (Renée does not like to think about them. She does not remember the nineteen-year-old boy who interrupted their betrothing, but she does have a vague memory of a sense of fear and pity whenever she recollects those moments) – when he comes back, tired, worn-out, almost dizzy from the adrenaline still in his body, she welcomes him, a beam on her lips. 

She takes his hands and he looks at her, his eyes glassy and unfocused, so she gets on the tip of her toes, kisses his lips and whispers against them those three words, those words that she heard this morning from the doctor she consulted, those three words that she hasn’t stopped repeating to herself over and over, until they almost have no meaning left.

_I am pregnant._

Gérard is silent for a second. Then, he blinks. Looks at her, this time more aware of who is standing in front of him, whose teary eyes are staring at him. 

That night, was the first time he ever cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From [ this](https://monte-cristo-incorrect-quotes.tumblr.com/tagged/i-haven%27t-written-IN-SO-LONG) prompt


	2. Chapter 2

 

##  **I**

“Father,” Gérard says, and Noirtier looks up to see his son, disheveled and sweaty, his eyes glowing more from happiness than tiredness.

“Yes?” he says, keeping his voice calm and even – yet his heart beats faster than it has ever had. The room spins for a second, but then it settles as Gérard says, with no resentment or fear or caution in his voice – for the first time since he turned eighteen – just plain, genuine happiness: 

“It is a girl, Father, it’s a beautiful, healthy girl! You are a grandfather! Come, come see my beautiful daughter, quick!”

And then it goes all in a hurry, Noirtier doesn’t feel his son grasping his hand, doesn’t feel anything as Gérard drags him through the house, doesn’t feel anything but some strange sort of terror, mingled with what already seems like love and  _he hasn’t seen the baby yet._

It scares him how quick he is ready to give his whole soul and heart to someone he is meeting for the first time – someone who could very well turn against him like Gérard did (and yet make him proud, he thinks for a second). It scares him and yet, he knows it will not change a thing. 

And then his son opens the door to reveal Madame de Villefort laying on the bed, the maids hurrying around, trying to shoo the two men out. There is some kind of complicity between them and the new mother, Noirtier dimly remarks. Usually the domestics would never dare disrespect their master this way – but now, as Madame beams, now Gérard almost seems submissive, meek and afraid, and lets himself be pushed out of the room.

Noirtier, instead, stays. He registers his trembling hands and shaking, erratic breathing as his daughter-in-law smiles up at him, a suspicious, reluctant invitation to come nearer. He obeys, holds his breath and looks down to see the baby.

“We are calling her Valentine,” Madame informs him. It takes a while for the information to arrive to his brain, and it doesn’t really matter what her name is, does it? “What do you say?” Madame asks, still cradling the baby.

Noirtier only now realises that he hasn’t seen her yet – not properly. Tears are dimming his eyes.

He tries to say something. But he can’t, his voice seemingly gone somewhere he can’t retrieve it. He gulps down the knot in his throat, uselessly, and, with shuddering fingers, wipes his eyes.

“You are crying, Father,” his daughter-in-law says. “Are you not happy?”

“I am,” he finally answers in a whisper. “The world is a better place now, Madame.”

“Will you take care of her?” she says and, only at that moment, Noirtier notices how tired and sad her voice sounds. He looks up sharply at her and she smiles weakly. He understands. His heart gives a painful tug, more painful than he would ever have expected.

“Oh, Renée…”

“Will you take care of her?” she repeats, her voice breaking, and Noirtier nods quickly. “I won’t always be here.”

“You are strong,” he says, and they both know it is a lie. “Renée, you –”

“I won’t always be here,” she says again, looking down at her daughter to avoid Noirtier’s gaze, “and Gérard won’t, either. You must take care of her, for me.”

“Always,” he promises. “Always.”

 

##  **II**

“You see, my son,” the man said, indicating with his cane the trees surrounding them, “you must be like a tree. Like nature. Strong and sure of your own roots, proud and untamed and dangerous, yet just and kind for those who treat you right.”

The young boy walked along him silently, without looking up to where the father was pointing. 

“Yes, Father,” he said mechanically, his voice dry and with barely a hint of exasperation that could be easily mistaken for tiredness. 

“Are you listening to me, Gérard?” Noirtier said, putting his hand on his son’s shoulder and drawing his nearer. “You must listen to me when I talk.”

“Yes, Father. You were saying I ought to be like a tree, like Mother Nature.”

“Good,” the man assented. “You must be fierce and strong and unyielding. Never let anyone put you down. Never let the world hurt you. Never lose hope. Fight for what you believe in, always and forever. Never let anyone stop you from doing what you think is right.”

“Not even you, Father?”

Noirtier stopped dead. He turned to look at his son, who was already staring at him, his expression open yet unreadable, like it always was. A flash passed between them – a moment, the first of many,  _too_ many to come, in which provocation, and some sort of a promise were tacitly and unknowingly exchanged. 

“Yes,” Noirtier said slowly, “not even me.”

Gérard looked away. 

The moment passed. Both of them would recall it only many years later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From [ this](https://monte-cristo-incorrect-quotes.tumblr.com/tagged/i-love-your-prompts.) prompt


	3. Chapter 3

Héloïse is not Renée, and she never will. They both know this and both of them have accepted it. 

Gérard married Héloïse because he thought a new mother would distract his Valentine from the grief of having lost Renée. The girl is far too sensitive (too sensible as well – sometimes her grave looks scare Gérard and make him feel guilty) for her age: she feels every little sensation more heightened than anybody he has ever met. A simple joy, a small gift can make her cry tears of happiness, and a little grief can make her sick with despair and sorrow for weeks and weeks.

He has already lost one love, he will not lose another. 

So, he married Héloïse, who is young, beautiful and lively – foolishly thinking that Valentine would forget her mother, not remembering himself what having a mother and losing her feels like. 

He does not realise that all that Valentine wants is a father.

 

Héloïse married Gérard because she wanted the position, the money but also the security of a respectable husband with a more than respectable reputation. She does not love him, but she is grateful for the things he gave her and their Édouard.

She is content, now. Taking care of her son is all that matters to her. She is not cruel to Valentine, but she cannot love her either: she is not her flesh and blood. She never will.

And that’s why, when that mysterious, charming, alluring Count with a sweet, hypnotising voice chats with her about poisons as if it were a friendly discussion about the weather, when she takes her decision – that’s why she feels no regrets nor fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From [ this](https://monte-cristo-incorrect-quotes.tumblr.com/post/170503984587/villefort-x-heloise) prompt


End file.
